A Dutch Phalaenopsis Factory Ron van der Ploeg
The Dutch orchid sector has experienced tremendous growth over the last decade with greenhouse construction that knew no bounds : in the Netherlands alone the total production of potted orchids has grown from 23 to 99 hectares ( 57 to 245 acres ). Nevertheless , Dutch moth orchid growers and brothers Richard and Eduard ter Laak keep a strong faith in their future . “ We ’ ve been considering building a completely new orchid nursery for a while . After much deliberation we finally took the plunge at the end of 2007 , just after the first signs of an economic crisis . We have expanded our business from 13.6 to almost 20 acres with another 14.8 acres for future expansion . It ’ s not just about having the largest orchid nursery ; we want to be one of the best . Besides , we strongly believe that Phalaenopsis is the best flowering pot plant ever . Lush and exotic , orchids make ideal indoor plants .” Ter Laak Orchids has defied the gloom and doom by building a new Phalaenopsis production nursery in Wateringen , the Netherlands , within a stone ’ s throw of the FloraHolland auction house . The company chose Priva , a key player in the field of automated climate and process control in both the horticultural and building intelligence sector , to automate the production process .
In the new premises the plants are grown in separate , but interconnected greenhouses . A 14.8-acre Venlo greenhouse with a post height of 21.3 feet is partly designated as a “ clean area ” for the production of young plants from the flask . “ In the past we were one of the first to grow orchids directly from the flask , reducing the crop time of our young plant supplier with five to six months , thereby increasing the profit margin slightly and allowing us to easily purchase additional plants if necessary . Also , a flask-grown plant coming out of the protected environment of the laboratory is usually clean of pests and diseases .”
Ter Laak puts lots of effort into healthy plant material . The company constantly accumulates the experience about virus detection and precautionary production . Richard states that each shipment of plants is checked for virus . “ The
22 production of young plants takes place in a closed area which is only accessible for our workers . In the past Dutch monocultures like tomatoes and Anthurium experienced serious virus problems so we don ’ t take any risks .”
The plantlets remain for 30 weeks in the vegetative area , after which they are transplanted twice . Once the population of plants is put in its final 12 cm pot and is uniformly mature , the plants can be exposed to cooler temperatures to induce the flowering process . A two story , wide-span greenhouse ( 182,987 square feet ) with a post height of 29.5 feet serves as a production site for cuttings and saleable plants on the upper deck and a conditioning area on the ground floor . Because Phalaenopsis are tropical plants , they should not be exposed to large or rapid fluctuations in temperature . “ Normally the young plants travel up and down the greenhouse , but we are producing the plants starting from the back of the greenhouse slowly progressing to the front of the nursery .”
Highly automated business Today ’ s potted orchid production is a highly automated business .
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Ter Laak ’ s choice for Priva was well considered . “ The exceptional level of user satisfaction among industry peers who work with Priva solutions daily , along with Van der Arend as installer , were a key
Fourth Quarter , Vol . 22 ( 3 & 4 ) 2012 - Phalaenopsis